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ERO Resources <br />rates. The perpetuation of this land use has developed into a cyclic <br />• trend in which erosion is the major factor acting as a deterrent to <br />vegetation stabilization. <br />The most outstanding features of sheep use on the land relate to exposure <br />and secondary effects arising from grazing. During the winter, sheep <br />concentrations are apparently high on south- and southwest -facing slopes. <br />A direct, first order evidence of these concentrations comes from the <br />copious amounts of baling wire found on these sites. The south- and <br />southwest -facing exposures tend to be relatively free of snow during <br />winter. These areas have become natural places for sheep to congregate <br />and to be fed. In addition, because of observed feeding by ranchers <br />during winter, the exposed areas that receive significant damage tend to <br />have proximity to roadways that criss-cross the permit area. The <br />consequences of heavy use of the exposed sites are visible surface <br />disturbance and subsequent erosion. These features are reinforced by the <br />naturally high environmental stress conditions that exist on the exposed <br />slopes and knolls. South- and southwest -facing slopes tend to be active <br />• surfaces in the north -temperate zone because of the greater heat input <br />during all seasons. As a result, soil erosion is more significant here <br />than on any other exposure. <br />• <br />Another major land use of the permit area is wildlife habitat. Major <br />categories of terrestrial mammals and avifauna that reside in or Frequent <br />the area are small mammals, prairie dogs, coyote, antelope, mule doer, <br />golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, Cooper's hawks, long-eared owls and Red- <br />tailed hawks. <br />The patchiness or mosaic character of the vegetation can be described in <br />terms of several gradients (Figure 3 and Map 128, Pocket). The overall <br />gradient and complexes are discussed in detail throughout this report. <br />The following discussion will provide an introduction to the dynamics of <br />the vegetation mosaic of the permit area. The major gradient is a <br />II.F-20 <br />